Interior Department Energy Propaganda Misleading, Disingenuous

WASHINGTON D.C. — The interior department announced Tuesday that oil and gas lease sales on public lands increased 20 percent in 2011, generating more than $250 million in profits for taxpayers. The fact, however, is that oil production on federal lands, lease sales, and revenue have drastically declined during the Obama administration.

“The American people need only to check their electric bills or the price they are paying at the pump to see just how well the Obama administration’s energy policies are working. Today’s announcement by the interior department that lease sales are increasing is misleading and disingenuous. The president promised to make energy prices “skyrocket,” and so he has. The American people deserve the facts about this administration’s anti-energy agenda, not more propaganda from Ken Salazar,” said IER Senior Vice President Dan Kish.

The Institute for Energy Research released the following facts to set the record straight:

Obama Claim:The administration is increasing lease sales on public lands. Total leases issued on public lands were up 20 percent in 2011.

FACT:Lease sales on public lands have steadily decreased over the last 25 years.

Obama Claim: The administration raised more than $250 million in lease sale revenues in 2011, up 20 percent over 2010.

FACT:Offshore lease sales have plummeted more than $9.4 billion since the Obama administration took over. This means that Americans collected 258 times less revenue from offshore lease sales than they did during the last year of the Bush administration.

Obama Claim: The administration is increasing the amount of federal lands available for domestic energy production.

FACT:The average annual leases issued during the Obama administration is down 35.5 percent from the George W. Bush administration, down 50.7 percent from the Clinton administration, down 69.5 percent from the George H.W. Bush administration, and down 78.9 percent from the Reagan administration.